Top 25 - March 23

Rankings for this week:

1 (1) FC Barcelona (ESP)
2 (2) Real Madrid CF (ESP)
3 (4) FC Bayern Munich (GER)
4 (3) Manchester City FC (ENG)
5 (5) Manchester United FC (ENG)
6 (7) Borussia Dortmund (GER)
7 (8) AC Milan (ITA)
8 (9) Juventus FC (ITA)
9 (10) Paris St. Germain FC (FRA)
10 (11) Chelsea FC (ENG)
11 (12) Arsenal FC (ENG)
12 (6) Tottenham Hotspur FC (ENG)
13 (13) SL Benfica (POR)
14 (18) Schalke 04 (GER)
15 (14) Montpellier HSC (FRA)
16 (15) FC Zenit St. Petersburg (RUS)
17 (16) SSC Napoli (ITA)
18 (17) LOSC Lille (FRA)
19 (19) Borussia Monchengladbach (GER)
20 (20) CSKA Moscow (RUS)
21 (NR) Olympique Lyon (FRA)
22 (21) Newcastle United FC (ENG)
23 (22) SS Lazio (ITA)
24 (23) FC Inter Milan (ITA)
25 (25) APOEL FC (CYP)

Dropped from rankings: FC Basel (24)

Notes:

TOP TEN: Bayern Munich moves ahead of Manchester City this week after putting in twenty goals in three games, followed by advancing to the cup finals after defeating Borussia Monchengladbach on penalties. There's no doubt about Bayern's talent - the only concern is their away form. With the Champions League final in their own building, the Germans must feel great about their chances - if they can get there. A potential semi-final matchup with Real Madrid stands in the way.. Meanwhile, City have been far from impressive. Even a comeback victory over Chelsea should not quell the nerviness around the Etihad, as the performance was a far cry from their early season form. Nonetheless, it was the result they needed, and that is the key to winning a title - getting results out of games in which the team does not play well. The EPL title will go down to the wire between City and Manchester United.. Another great title race is going on in Serie A between AC Milan and Juventus. Juve are still undefeated with ten games left but trail Milan by four points. However, they gained some important momentum by knocking the Rossoneri out of the Coppa Italia. The teams have similar run-ins in terms of difficulty, so it will be up to Milan to hold their nerve.. Chelsea is back on the rise despite losing to City. The speed of their attacking buildups is dramatically faster, and key players like Torres and Lampard are starting to return to form. Even John Obi Mikel is playing well. Whether their performances had anything to do with tactics or not, the side looks rejuvenated under Roberto Di Matteo. Perhaps the old guard still has a few tricks left. A quarterfinal matchup with Benfica is favorable, but Barcelona could be waiting.

11-25:  Tottenham have come crashing down to Earth after sitting in third for a good part of the season. After being passed by Arsenal this weekend, Spurs are now focusing on securing a UCL spot with just a five-point lead over Chelsea and a trip to the Bridge awaiting them on Saturday. A loss there would really be trouble for Tottenham.. Lyon are back after winning three straight following their UCL exit at the hands of APOEL. Sitting just four points behind third-placed Lille, Lyon have every chance to qualify for next year's Champions League. There is plenty of quality in the squad, which made their performances against the Cypriot champions all the more puzzling.. After seeing City and United crash out of the Europa League, Schalke are now favorites to take the title. The side have recovered very well from their early season slumber, and with Huntelaar having perhaps his best season to date, a trophy and a Champions League place could be destined for Gelsenkirchen.. Before the Rome derby, Lazio players and management described what an important game it would be in the race for third place, and the last UCL berth. Lazio defeated Roma 2-1, but subsequently dropped two straight games home to Bologna and away to Catania. Lazio have had a solid season, but Napoli and Udinese are only a point behind now. Should be a very tight close to the season in that part of Serie A as well.